Related
Hey folks,
I'm sorry this is probably a newbee question but I would like to have an answer.
I root my phone (Optimus One) and I try to back-up ROM on sd card and reeboot
and stuck at Lg logo. What to do?
Please help.
gabrielpet said:
Hey folks,
I'm sorry this is probably a newbee question but I would like to have an answer.
I root my phone (Optimus One) and I try to back-up ROM on sd card and reeboot
and stuck at Lg logo. What to do?
Please help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You probably shouldn't have rooted in the first place. You should have learned and researched first.
Despite popular belief, having root does NOT in fact make you cooler.
Way too many new users are trying to root because they think it's cool or heard it's cool. Well; it's not cool to be a n00b and attempt root. You need to learn your device first.
If you don't know how to perform a Nandroid backup, or restore a previous ROM backup, flash updates, install custom ROM's, boot into Safe mode, Mount R/W, run shell commands or Terminal Emulator etc, then you should NOT root. You should browse the forums here, read and re-read everything until you know it well. Google search related topics. Exhaust all available avenues, then ask questions. After you've executed all of these options you might consider rooting and starting to tinker with your device.
If you don't even know what some of the things are that were mentioned, then you should absolutely NOT root your phone. You will likely brick or screw up your phone and then be right back here begging for help in a new thread most definately created by you out of haste or costing HTC/T-Mobile money by sending your phone back and asking for a replacement simply because you had no idea what you were doing. JMHO
#include <std_disclaimer.h>
/*
* Rooting voids your warranty.
*/
CBConsultation said:
You probably shouldn't have rooted in the first place. You should have learned and researched first.
Despite popular belief, having root does NOT in fact make you cooler.
Way too many new users are trying to root because they think it's cool or heard it's cool. Well; it's not cool to be a n00b and attempt root. You need to learn your device first.
If you don't know how to perform a Nandroid backup, or restore a previous ROM backup, flash updates, install custom ROM's, boot into Safe mode, Mount R/W, run shell commands or Terminal Emulator etc, then you should NOT root. You should browse the forums here, read and re-read everything until you know it well. Google search related topics. Exhaust all available avenues, then ask questions. After you've executed all of these options you might consider rooting and starting to tinker with your device.
If you don't even know what some of the things are that were mentioned, then you should absolutely NOT root your phone. You will likely brick or screw up your phone and then be right back here begging for help in a new thread most definately created by you out of haste or costing HTC/T-Mobile money by sending your phone back and asking for a replacement simply because you had no idea what you were doing. JMHO
#include <std_disclaimer.h>
/*
* Rooting voids your warranty.
*/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Couldn't have said it better. But, I jumped in myself without really testing the waters when rooting my main usage device. But, what I did was read the same steps over and over again as I went along and took my time to make sure where I was going to go next and what would go wrong if I changed my mind and didn't want to root anymore out of difficulties.
What you should do at this point, is go back on the steps that you've followed and see what you may have done wrong. The best thing you can do is go back into your recovery menu and try reflashing a stock rom to your phone in hopes of reversing what you've done. Once you've done that, read different guides to give you a sense of what's going on. Pick a guide that makes the most sense to you, perhaps even a dumbed-down guide that will take you literally STEP BY STEP and assist you in rooting. Also make sure your phone isn't a pain to root. Some devices are easier than others.
So I've been reading all these articles about rooting the Samsung Captivate and they all seem to say that rooting gives you the equivalent of admin access and basically its really useful.
What I want to know is if it is safe? I'm not really good at these things and I'm afraid that if I root it I might just screw up my phone because I don't understand what I'm doing. Also I've read that rooting your phone can sometimes render your phone unusable...is that a serious issue for the captivate?
I mainly want to just be able to have a complete backup, and be able to download apps from third party websites. (I have AT&T) I think rooting lets you do all that.
Also, I see all this talk about ROM's or something and I really don't understand what that is.
If i root my phone, will it wipe any data I have stored on my phone, like contacts and apps or something? Will I still be able to receive software updates from AT&T?
Please help...Thanks sooo much!!!
Hello there,
In first place, ROMs it's the name we usually call for the OS images that you run in your phone. You have the manufacturer ROM, with (probably) operator stuff in it. You can have a very different OS image, with different layout, more options (there are beautiful things around like CyanogenMod), etc. So, installing new ROMs sometimes is like installing a new Android OS on your phone (not exactly but something like that).
Rooting your phone doesn't clean your data, but it's always a good practice to do an application/data backup. Backup software: Titanium Backup (i use it and i really like it).
By adding an Android Recovery loader, you will have the possibility to make a nandroid backup which really allows you to keep EVERYTHING! (that happens after you root the phone, of course).
Advantages of having a rooted phone:
* removing operator applications you don't like in the standard ROM
* run 'root-only' software
* installing new ROMS
* upgrading the OS version of your phone to higher than supported by the manufacturer (some features may not work in this case)
Disadvantages:
* you may void your warranty
* you may brick your phone
* you can be messing around for a long time before having your phone stable once again (if you are curious to keep trying different ROMS, and app2sd and other add-ons)
Bricking your phone may happen if in the procedure to root your phone you need to flash it. In my case, I have a LG P500 and had the Android 2.2.2 - to root it I had to flash a 2.2 version and that was the risky part (some people say that 1 in every 4 phones get bricked in this procedure which I find very exagerated!)
So read the procedures carefully and have your phone with battery full before doing any rooting procedures. Do things calmly, follow every single step and if your get unsure of something, stop, ask, and after that move forward. You will be really happy when your phone is rooted !!
thank you!
The previous responder was a little zealous with the warnings. I have a Captivate, which is rooted and running a custom ROM (CyanogenMod 7).
First, rooting will not brick your phone. In theory, you void your warranty by doing so, but it's really easy to restore to factory state.
I don't recommend a custom ROM for someone who has basic questions like you've just asked. I'd reccommend first trying to get root, and run apps like Titanium backup, SGS Tools, etc. Be careful, research what you're doing, and make lots of backups. So long as you can enter download mode, you can flash back to factory.
Sent from my SGH-I897 using XDA Premium App
I was right where you are last August. I agree with ADT who says that you should root first and then work with apps that require root. Titanium Backup has been the most valuable for me out of all of those.
The chances of bricking your phone when you only root it is minimal. I guess it's possible, but honestly, I cannot see how. There are 2 files that are required called Bootloaders. Think of these as the AT&T screen and then the Samsung screen in a stock Captivate. If you do anything that changes/replaces these, you stand a great chance of bricking your phone. You don't do this when you root, only when you do something like try a custom ROM.
When you root your phone, you won't really notice anything different at first. However, if you look at your apps you will see a new one called Superuser. It is the app that is needed to run "rooted" apps. Also, once you root your phone, you will be able to take advantage of Amazon's market which has a free app a day.
If you decide to "unroot", it can be done rather easily, and you will lose the ability to do things like run rooted apps and Amazon apps (including any you downloaded).
I would recommend that you read as many posts about rooting as possible before you finally make the plunge. Read, read and read again. Make sure you know what you are doing before you do it and the risk of damage is minimal. I have bricked my phone many times, including the power button not working and was lucky to get it back. I learned the hard way by not knowing to read, read and read again.
Good luck!!
One other quick point. If you decide to play with custom ROMs, I recommend you stick with the ones that run Froyo, not Gingerbread. The Gingerbread ROMs are just starting to come out and I believe are not for someone just starting out. The instructions are a bit more complicated and the chance of bricking your phone are much greater.
The Froyo ROMs are much easier to install. However, as said in my last post, I'd get used to rooting your stock phone first before going that way.
stick with froyo and play with custom roms. To install custom roms just flash the custom rom in the recovery mode.
You're right guys. I mean, changing the bootloader is the risky part of the process, not the rooting itself. But the risky part is flashing a ROM (if that's needed to root the phone)...
In my case I had to downgrade my phone (LG P500) before applying root, so it was risky from the start - anyway, depending on the phone model, rooting / installling bootloader can be more or less risky...
Samsung. Couldnt he always ODIN back?
Sent from my ADR6300
My first post!!!
Anyway, I wanted to know if the GS3DebugFSRoot rooting method removes all the bloat on the phone? Should I just go with this method or should I go the Odin method?
MisterBigs said:
My first post!!!
Anyway, I wanted to know if the GS3DebugFSRoot rooting method removes all the bloat on the phone? Should I just go with this method or should I go the Odin method?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, Welcome to XDA!
Back to your question, I am pretty sure that the GS3DebugFSRoot rooting method does not remove all the bloat from the phone. I personally think that the rooting method is better than the odin method, because it is faster and is a smaller download (waaaay smaller). However, the root you get from GS3DebugFSRoot is as good as any other root (because of the way root works). You can use that root access to remove the bloat you do not want.
In addition, after using Noxious Ninja's root method, you can use the root you get to flash a recovery to your phone, which you can use from there to flash many roms/mods/hacks/themes/etc such as CyanogenMod
It doesn't remove anything, just adds root/SU.
Thanks mustbepbs and yosterwp.
yosterwp, you lost me there. Isn't here a major thread of bricking or some other damage to the phone if I start removing some of the bloat myself? If I root the phone how would I know what can be safely removed?
Here is a list of what I'm looking for:
I want to be able to install APKs
I don't want any of the bloat from Verizon or Samsung
I would like to us HotSpot tethering
I don't think I need any custom mods
I do would like the ability to set it back to stock (with no trace of it having been rooted if possible)
Whoops! I guess a went a bit ahead of myself in that post. I'll look into your list in the order the criteria is put.
1. Umm, I believe you can install any apk you want even without root access (Go to Settings > Security > Unknown Sources and check the box). Now if the application requires SU, that's a different story and need SU access.
2. [This answers one of your main concerns too] I forgot where I found this thread, but I bookmarked this spreadsheet on Google Docs. It is a table showing what is safe to remove, what's risky to remove, and what you should not remove. However, if you are rooting for the sake of flashing a custom ROM, then you should forget removing the bloat, as the custom rom should be devoid of bloat to start.
3. HotSpot Tethering should already be on your phone without root or anything... Go to Settings > Mobile Hotspot.
3.5. If you are talking about not using that (because your plan prohibits it) --I'd rather not be the one who encourages violating contracts...
4. If you want to return to stock without a trace of being rooted, get ready for a HUGE download. Go to this thread and use your preferred downloading method. And remember to grab Odin from the link on the page. Thank the OP if you can. Then boot your phone into download mode. [(in computer with phone plugged in) adb reboot download] and then fire up Odin. In odin, hit PDA and then navigate to the large download. Finally just to make sure the flash counter appears to have not changed, go to this thread.
You should be good to go from there. I make no guarantee that my instructions will work for you, but it should point you in the right direction. And if you have any questions, let the forum know!
Wow! thanks for all the info.
One more question. What's your take on whether I need a Recovery tool?
I'm a software developer (web and Windows) and am planning on getting into coding on Android so I'm also looking for a crash course for that too. If you have a link for that I would greatly appreciate it.
MisterBigs said:
Wow! thanks for all the info.
One more question. What's your take on whether I need a Recovery tool?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just have Odin installed and on hand. While the easy root solution is nice, it's still a good idea to be familiar with Odin as you're going to NEED it if you get yourself in a pickle or want to go back to fully stock.
MisterBigs said:
Wow! thanks for all the info.
One more question. What's your take on whether I need a Recovery tool?
I'm a software developer (web and Windows) and am planning on getting into coding on Android so I'm also looking for a crash course for that too. If you have a link for that I would greatly appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If by recovery tool, you mean Odin, then i definitely would suggest getting Odin and the stock images for your phone. Hopefully you will never need it, but it is always good to have on hand. Familiarize yourself with it, especially if you are rooted.
If you are talking about a recovery partition, that is a definite must have when rooted! You can make complete backups of your phone in case something goes wrong as well. And it can do much more.
Now for the android crash course
If you are talking about developing apps, there is a user on YouTube, mybringback, who does excellent videos on developing apps on android for absolute beginners like me. I am not the greatest Dev (in C++ and Java), but his videos gave me a good foot into Java.
If you are talking about developing for the actual android system, then honestly, I have no clue. Many places will tell you how to download and build the source, but not much else... I am still trying to find a site that explains the source...
Hope that helps
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app
Cool. Thanks guys.
I'll be watching some videos now
Hey people, I am slightly new to xda developers but I am an experienced rooted user. So I saw many people who are inexperienced at rooting their phones brick their phones very easily. Yes I did notice a few "how to avoid bricking your phone" threads but they are quite old. Since the new versions of updates and apps are rolling out, I thought it might be a good time to post a newer thread.
Ways to avoid bricking your device.
* When flashing a custom rom or kernel, ALWAYS use the kernel or rom that is for your device and your device only.
I realized that online it does not say anything about always flashing the custom rom or device that is for your device only. Many users are out there who brick their phones by flashing the wrong rom or kernel. ( I myself have once bricked my phone like this).
*Avoid apps that can brick your device.
Many people brick their phones like this because once you have a rooted device, you want to try out all the cool root apps. Also please people name some apps that will brick your device as well.
*** APPS THAT CAN BRICK YOUR DEVICE***
Fonts installer(root), Chain fire 3D when installed on AOS 4.0 and above, switchme when installed on a custom rom, and so on. (I have more apps I could list but I am sure people out there will post it). The basic idea is read the comments about the app and see if the app is safe. Many people just get the apps online without researching and end up bricking their phones. EDIT: Any type of font installer app that is for rooted phones only have a high chance of bricking your device. One tap root apps can give a virus to your device without knowing and have chances that it will brick. After all, it is an application that roots your device, there is always a catch. z4 root for example will give you a virus and brick your device. Rom manager *can* brick your device if you try to flash a custom recovery. For Rom manager, there are users who have successfully flashed a custom recovery and users who have bricked their phones. There is definitely a risk, so I recommend flashing a custom recovery on a safer application like goo manager. Goo manager will be safe if you READ the instruction, if you do not, you will be carrying a brick in your pocket.
*When flashing/installing or in a rooting progress be patient
When flashing or rooting be patient. Do not unplug or turn off the device when in a rooting or flashing progress because that will brick the device, and I am not talking about boot loop/soft brick. Im talking about hard brick, a black screen no sign of life brick. (Once bricked my phone like that lol).
*Research and follow instructions.
Many people tend to skip the reading and researching and do it by their feeling. Then what happens? They carry around a brick in their pocket.
Research about your phone and learn it. All I got to say for this one is, READ READ AND READ.
Anyways everyone that is all I got to say, I have more things but they are minor and someone will definitely post it. Please everyone take the time to comment your thoughts and ideas on how to avoid bricking your device. I hope many users found this helpful.
Good informative article, but .... when your phone have to brick, it will brick hehe
aamirrajpoot said:
Good informative article, but .... when your phone have to brick, it will brick hehe
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol
Tell us , what other apps to avoid/be careful with? Pls.
Btw this thread is good idea..
raze_da_noize said:
lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can i recover my phone from brick without any backup of old stock rom?
raze_da_noize said:
Hey people, I am slightly new to xda developers but I am an experienced rooted user. So I saw many people who are inexperienced at rooting their phones brick their phones very easily. Yes I did notice a few "how to avoid bricking your phone" threads but they are quite old. Since the new versions of updates and apps are rolling out, I thought it might be a good time to post a newer thread.
Ways to avoid bricking your device.
* When flashing a custom rom or kernel, ALWAYS use the kernel or rom that is for your device and your device only.
I realized that online it does not say anything about always flashing the custom rom or device that is for your device only. Many users are out there who brick their phones by flashing the wrong rom or kernel. ( I myself have once bricked my phone like this).
*Avoid apps that can brick your device.
Many people brick their phones like this because once you have a rooted device, you want to try out all the cool root apps. Also please people name some apps that will brick your device as well.
*** APPS THAT CAN BRICK YOUR DEVICE***
Fonts installer(root), Chain fire 3D when installed on AOS 4.0 and above, switchme when installed on a custom rom, and so on. (I have more apps I could list but I am sure people out there will post it). The basic idea is read the comments about the app and see if the app is safe. Many people just get the apps online without researching and end up bricking their phones. EDIT: Any type of font installer app that is for rooted phones only have a high chance of bricking your device. One tap root apps can give a virus to your device without knowing and have chances that it will brick. After all, it is an application that roots your device, there is always a catch. z4 root for example will give you a virus and brick your device. Rom manager *can* brick your device if you try to flash a custom recovery. For Rom manager, there are users who have successfully flashed a custom recovery and users who have bricked their phones. There is definitely a risk, so I recommend flashing a custom recovery on a safer application like goo manager. Goo manager will be safe if you READ the instruction, if you do not, you will be carrying a brick in your pocket.
*When flashing/installing or in a rooting progress be patient
When flashing or rooting be patient. Do not unplug or turn off the device when in a rooting or flashing progress because that will brick the device, and I am not talking about boot loop/soft brick. Im talking about hard brick, a black screen no sign of life brick. (Once bricked my phone like that lol).
*Research and follow instructions.
Many people tend to skip the reading and researching and do it by their feeling. Then what happens? They carry around a brick in their pocket.
Research about your phone and learn it. All I got to say for this one is, READ READ AND READ.
Anyways everyone that is all I got to say, I have more things but they are minor and someone will definitely post it. Please everyone take the time to comment your thoughts and ideas on how to avoid bricking your device. I hope many users found this helpful.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bricked my poco X3 NFC by installing a recovery image by *flashify* app
p.s: i had root access and i already have TWRP, but the reason i wanted to switch to orange fox it's because i haven't access to the whole storage on TWRP recovery so i wanted to install Orange Fox to try it out, and i was too lazy to install it by PC, and i said to myself , why not installing it by the phone it self! After installing it on *Flashify* it asks to reboot, after that i got a bootloop and i don't even know if it's installed . Now the phone it's returned to the shop so it can be fixed...
But altough it's happened, i'm planning to flash more custom rom, ad try the cool Kernel s cause it's fun.
simonbigwave said:
Tell us , what other apps to avoid/be careful with? Pls.
Btw this thread is good idea..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bro i bricked my poco x3 by *Flashify* app it's on google play and it bricked my phone.
Those members posted in 2016! So don't expect a reply... Flashify app hasn't been updated since 2015...be ware.
galaxys said:
Those members posted in 2016! So don't expect a reply... Flashify app hasn't been updated since 2015...be ware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Didn't know that but thx for tye info
Bricking is a condition when a device is usually interrupted in an attempt to update the device. There can be 6 steps to avoid bricking
(1) custom recovery,
(2) know ADB and Fastboot commands;
(3) keep a factory image on your phone;
(4) keep a Nandroid backup on your phone;
(5) keep copies of both backups on a computer;
(6) if you can't replace your battery, know how to hard reset your phone.
Adameur said:
I bricked my poco X3 NFC by installing a recovery image by *flashify* app
p.s: i had root access and i already have TWRP, but the reason i wanted to switch to orange fox it's because i haven't access to the whole storage on TWRP recovery so i wanted to install Orange Fox to try it out, and i was too lazy to install it by PC, and i said to myself , why not installing it by the phone it self! After installing it on *Flashify* it asks to reboot, after that i got a bootloop and i don't even know if it's installed . Now the phone it's returned to the shop so it can be fixed...
But altough it's happened, i'm planning to flash more custom rom, ad try the cool Kernel s cause it's fun.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
U gave ur phone in shop what did they said?
Honestly one of the most laughable things imo is to return your phone to the shop or any technical expert shop.
Guys what you want the shop to do for you? Factory Reset? Don't think them as a real experienced ones, they just know the basics. Any any one who have an experience of installing custom ROMs or TWRP & Rooting, is better than most of the shop repairs.
They are just experiencers for the AVERAGE people. I maybe even when I sometimes go to the shop to fix my devices, I tell the employee what to do, because they hardly know about their tools.
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME, DON'T ROOT. Basic Logic, Root isn't for normal users and wont give you a huge advantages. Root is ONLY for fun and amusing, there are no real need of Root. So if you're too lazy to search for solution and trying many methods of solving your problem, and you just hurry to fix your device. DON'T ROOT IT.
I'm so extremely new to this forum (and any forum, for that matter) that I just have an overload of questions. I've taken the time to read some stickies for noobs and that you should always read and search before posting but I am impatient (I tried and failed).
I recently got a gorgeous, red htc one m8 from Verizon. This phone is bomb, and a total step up from my previous galaxy s3, but now I really want to root for the first time and see where it can take me.
I'd like to backup my phone before following the instructions to root, and the resources I've gotten don't seem promising and I was really just wanting to know what would be best to save EVERYTHING from multimedia to my somewhat custom settings. (?)
Please don't hate me. I'm so new. If I ever get to the point of rooting this thing are there any personal recommendations on where to begin after I've rooted (or threads that already have that stuff)?
The rooting process (including soff) wipes no data. After you get root, you can install an app like titani backup or helium backup to backup individual data. You also want to do a nandroid backup in recovery the second you install a custom recovery, so you have a cushion to fall in in a bad situation
wtoj34 said:
The rooting process (including soff) wipes no data. After you get root, you can install an app like titani backup or helium backup to backup individual data. You also want to do a nandroid backup in recovery the second you install a custom recovery, so you have a cushion to fall in in a bad situation
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you!
Now I've just got to google nandroid backup and custom recovery. These are honestly my baby steps with this, should I even root without knowing all this stuff or will it just get easier?
letsmoshjosh said:
Now I've just got to google nandroid backup and custom recovery. These are honestly my baby steps with this, should I even root without knowing all this stuff or will it just get easier?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would say you need to read read read. The s-off procedures for either firewater our sunshine are damn near idiot proof so there's little to no risk of damaging things there. However, once you have the ability to flash things in a custom recovery the risk goes way up. As long as you're not flashing unverified experimental files or accidentally flashing files for a different model then today's recoveries make it pretty easy. Also, make a nandroid before you change just about anything through recovery. Happy flashing.
cntryby429 said:
I would say you need to read read read. The s-off procedures for either firewater our sunshine are damn near idiot proof so there's little to no risk of damaging things there. However, once you have the ability to flash things in a custom recovery the risk goes way up. As long as you're not flashing unverified experimental files or accidentally flashing files for a different model then today's recoveries make it pretty easy. Also, make a nandroid before you change just about anything through recovery. Happy flashing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All of the above are true. Please revisit the thread if you have any issues setting up ADB on your machine before you attempt firewater (S-OFF). The big thing for me was making sure I got everything installed properly before I flashed. Once you do the root process be it Samsung, HTC, et al... you will find it is remarkably easy.
If you're looking for a custom ROM, be sure to stick to the Verizon HTC One M8 forums only unless you're directed there by a thread. Before you flash anything at all, just make sure you're solid on the process. Many times, there are awesome people who take the time to make a video about the process from start to end. Those will probably enormously useful for you on your first foray.
Again, ask around and read up! As cntryby429 said, read as much as you possibly can. The truth is, the devs do far more work than we could ever imagine as far as root goes.
Cheers!
letsmoshjosh said:
I'm so extremely new to this forum (and any forum, for that matter) that I just have an overload of questions. I've taken the time to read some stickies for noobs and that you should always read and search before posting but I am impatient (I tried and failed).
I recently got a gorgeous, red htc one m8 from Verizon. This phone is bomb, and a total step up from my previous galaxy s3, but now I really want to root for the first time and see where it can take me.
I'd like to backup my phone before following the instructions to root, and the resources I've gotten don't seem promising and I was really just wanting to know what would be best to save EVERYTHING from multimedia to my somewhat custom settings. (?)
Please don't hate me. I'm so new. If I ever get to the point of rooting this thing are there any personal recommendations on where to begin after I've rooted (or threads that already have that stuff)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been where you are! It's a little daunting finding all the information and getting it sorted.
You will have to do your own reading and do lot of it, but here's a little summary to get you pointed in the right direction.
The only known root method for the M8 is WEAKSAUCE. It provides temp root, meaning you loose root with each reboot but the app will re-root the phone automatically about 30 sec after booting. Servicable but not very elegant.
Root with Weaksauce is a pre-requisite to everything below.
If you want permanent root and/or run a custom rom on this phone you have to S-off, unlock the bootloader and flash a custom recovery (in that order).
For S-off and bootloader unlock (accomplished at the same time) there are two methods:
FIREWATER: free, but does not work on all M8s. Try it - it'll either work or fail. Follow the instructions on the Firewater website to the letter
SUNSHINE: from the same devs that made Firewater, guaranteed to work on all M8s and it'll cost you $25. Well worth it in my opinion.
Once you have S-off and an unlocked bootloader you can install a custom recovery like TWRP or CWM (I recommend the former). Find instructions on the respective websites.
Once you have the custom recovery installed, you can
- flash SuperSU for permanent root
- make a nandroid (total system backup or image) of your stock rom or any rom you have currently installed
- flash a custom rom
This should get you started. Read everything three times, ask twice, flash once.
Edit: Could you do me a favor? Change the title of your thread to something like: Step-by-Step instructions for rooting/roming the M8?
It would make it easier to find for users in a similar situation.